Author: ian

I bought the Reading from Yesterdays in Holland as a running bike. I kept her for a year and then sold her back to them in exchange for a few bikes (she was expensive). A great strong bike, built well, solid and fast.

Built better than a Harley but lacking the character somehow.

I wouldn’t sell her if I had her now though. Tastes change.

This little three speed Triumph came with a interesting past. Apart from being owned by one of the founders of the VMCC it also appeared in several television programmes from the 70’s and 80’s.

These included “Wings”, “Frenshaw’s People” and “Thomas and Sara”.

It came with a great history file but I didn’t keep copies of anything.

Victorian period dramas as I recall, featuring John Anderton and others.

I bought it for the Centennial 2012 crossing of Australia.

I bought my first Harley shovelhead in 1984, my first panhead in 86 and my first knuckle in 87 but this was my first teens Harley, acquired in about 1991-2. It took me about 18 months to finish her.

She needed so much doing and had so little decent paint that I did a full ‘Repair and Repaint’.

The metalwork was all cleaned and any new parts were patina-ed, then a repaint but with no ‘ageing’.

I remember that the whole bike cost less than £4,000. The seat was just $50; an original Messenger No. 2.